She heeded the warning and slid her hands over his arms to his biceps and held tight as he took her from putty in his hands to a delectable treat on his tongue. Her pliant body rode the wave of pleasure to a crescendo that had her hips coming off the bed as he stroked her deep, making love to her with his mouth until she crashed over the edge.
Turned on to the point of release by her eager participation and her body quaking against his lips, he buried his face in the blankets between her legs and gripped the sheets trying to ride out the explosion of lust filling his system to the point he nearly came.
Roxy scooted back and gave him some room. Her fingers brushed over his hair. Even that sweet gesture nearly undid him.
“You’re killing me, sweetheart.”
“Noah, come here.”
He looked up, knowing he’d be staring at the most gorgeous naked woman he’d ever seen. And there she was, sitting with her back against the headboard, her legs wide, knees up, breasts begging to be in his hands, and her sweet, seductive smile as she held up a condom.
His dick twitched. His mind screamed, Get her.
She sat there calm as could be, tore the condom open with her teeth, pulled it free, and held it out to him.
He took it, dove forward and onto his back beside her, and slid it on. She took advantage and straddled his lap. Hands free, he laid back, closed his eyes, and let out a long breath as she slowly sheathed him. Her hips rocked forward, then back in a slow roll that never stopped. He clamped his hands on her hips, held on, and just let her ride. Every slip and slide of her body over his was pure pleasure. She didn’t rush or take her time but found a rhythm that made his need for her grow with every brush of her body against his.
He stared up at her, hair spilling down her back, breasts tipped with tight pink nipples and red abrasions from his beard stubble, her creamy skin soft against his. Head slightly back, eyes closed, she rocked her body over his, completely lost in the moment. She let herself go, finding the exact way that made her breath hitch and him respond to make it better for both of them.
Her head fell forward and her sultry gaze found his. “You feel so good.”
He didn’t have words to tell her what he felt. It had been dark last night. He’d mapped her body and committed it to memory, but seeing her loving him in the soft morning light filtering through the drapes and making her glow, highlighting her too sexy curves and the sweet smile on her lips did something to his heart. His chest ached with a tenderness he’d never felt.
One with her, he could feel her breathe. His heart beat with hers.
In the soft morning light, she leaned forward, pressed her breasts and body to his, and kissed him long and deep, the kiss an echo of their bodies’ movements. He thrust into her, filled her, and at the same time, she filled him. All the dark and lonely places inside him disappeared, replaced by a light and warmth that came from her.
Her love filled him up and made his heart expand in his chest to the point there was no way to ignore or deny how much he loved her, how special she was to him.
The tempo changed because he’d changed. She’d given him something he’d wanted for a long time. She loved him in a way nothing could ever break.
He felt it in the slide of her hand over his head and down the side of his face as she held him with a tenderness that matched the soft kiss she pressed to his lips. It said, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.
All of a sudden, close wasn’t close enough. He thrust into her hard and deep, hooked his arm around her hips, held her close, and loved her until she was as desperate for release as him but so caught up in the moment neither of them wanted it to end. But her body locked around his and they both gave in and fell over the edge and into something neither of them would ever let go of.
She collapsed on his chest, her face pressed against his neck, her heart thrashing against his as her panting breaths washed over his heated skin.
“I love you.” The words couldn’t be contained when the feeling took up every cell in his heart, mind, body, and soul.
“I know. I love you, too.”
He turned, her body slipping off his to settle beside him. He stared into her eyes and found nothing but the truth in them. “It’s not just because we made love.”
“I know.”
“I don’t know when it happened. I guess I knew I did, but I wasn’t really sure what it was.”
“I know.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
She raked her fingers through his hair and held on. “I’ll never leave you.”
Stunned, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. How did she . . . His father left his mother when he was a baby. His mother died, but it still felt like she’d left him. John’s passing was still so fresh it made his heart ache just thinking about him.
Roxy got it. John had abandoned her. Candy had mistreated and left Roxy to her own devices her whole life. She had her sisters, but their lives were changing. They were all kind of going their separate ways now that they’d raised each other.
He and Roxy both longed for that sense of family and home. She’d never really had it. He’d had it and lost it more than once.
Roxy didn’t say things she didn’t mean. Her saying that meant far more than the simple statement implied. Because of John, she was committed to the ranch and Annabelle, but she wanted him to know that the promise she just made, and not lightly, meant that he’d never be alone again. For all the worries she harbored about being in a relationship, she’d made sure to ease his biggest unspoken and buried concern.
He wanted her to have that same promise. “I’ll never leave you.” He meant it all the way to his soul. And he meant to seal that promise with a preacher, a ring, and a kiss. Not necessarily in that order, or only once, so he kissed her now with tenderness and filled with the depth of emotion he had no idea how to express to her with words.
He kissed her one last time, then pulled her warm body against his and held her close. “You can trust me.”
“I do.”
She needed that promise from him. That he’d never break that bond. He’d never give her reason to question that he was on her side. Always.
Her easy acknowledgment and confident, I do, eased his mind considerably. They’d forged this bond. Now all they had to do was hold on to it.
Easier said than done. But he’d work hard every day to make sure she never regretted putting her faith in him.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Roxy stopped midway down the stable alley and stared at the gorgeous man carrying the heavy saddle to the tack room, one hand around the saddle horn as he carried it over his shoulder and down his strong back. Dark jeans covered his fine ass and long legs. He walked with purpose, no sign the added weight bothered him in the least.
She let out a catcall whistle. He jerked around at the high-pitched sound and smiled like he’d just gotten his biggest wish.
“Hey, sweetheart. This is a nice surprise.”
She usually spent the morning in the office working straight to lunch.
“Wanna go for a ride?”
She cocked her chin toward the saddle dangling down his back. “Looks like you’re putting that away.”
“I don’t mind saddling up again if I get to spend time with you.”
She closed the distance between them and stood close enough to smell the grass, wind, and horse clinging to his hard frame. “You’re sweet, but I came down to tell you I’m headed out on an errand.”
Noah took her hand and gave her a gentle tug to make her follow him into the tack room. “When will you be back? Annabelle is out with the vet going out on calls to some of the nearby ranches. I thought you and I could head into town for lunch.”
“I’d love to, but there’s something I want to do today before we fire Tom tomorrow.”
Noah set the saddle on its stand and took a seat on the padded bench in front of the cubbies that stored horse blankets and riding helmets. He reached out and held her hips and st
ared up at her.
“Are you going to talk to a new lawyer?”
She bit her lip and hoped he understood why she wanted to do this on her own. “I’m going to see Austin.”
He cocked his head and studied her. “Why?”
“I think there’s something going on between him and his father and that land.”
“His dad is a dick and fucking with Austin because Austin won’t do what he wants.”
“People always have a reason for the things they do.”
“Sometimes it’s just because they enjoy hurting other people and making them squirm.”
She knew that all too well. “He wants that land, and I want to know why.”
Noah frowned. “I’ll go with you.”
Roxy shook her head.
“Why not?” Noah’s words had a bite.
“He won’t talk to me with you there. He’s refused your help out of pride.”
Noah pressed his lips tight. “And you think he wants your help?”
“He’s a man plummeting to rock bottom. I think I can offer him a lifeline that doesn’t come across as a handout or obligation that feels like pity.”
“Why? Why would you go out of your way to do this?”
To ease his mind and make him feel the connection they shared, she moved close, planted one knee by his hip, swung the other over his legs, straddled his lap, and sank down on his thighs. She cupped his face and made him look at her. “You love him like a brother. He’s your best friend. You worry about him. I saw the concern you had for him at the funeral and again last night at dinner. He wants what you have here at the ranch, but he’s had everything taken away for no other reason than spite that he holds on to the one thing no one can take from him.”
“His father will take it. Eventually. Austin sold everything he owns to pay the property taxes. If he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll default on them and lose the property.”
“Then let me try to convince him that I’m his best option.” She hoped Noah agreed, but his gaze searched her eyes for some deeper meaning. “He won’t accept your help because you’re too close to him. He doesn’t want to disappoint you. He doesn’t want to lose your friendship. I’m nobody to him. If this doesn’t work, or he screws it up, it’s not personal.”
“I’m his best friend. You’re mine. Don’t you think that if he fucks this up that I won’t be mad as hell on your behalf?”
“I’m not saying it makes perfect sense, but I’m hoping that I’m separation enough from you that he might take the lifeline I’m offering him.” She brushed her thumbs over his hard jaw. “It wasn’t just the concern I saw in you when Austin showed up those two times, but the relief that he hadn’t completely self-destructed. Please, Noah, let me try to do this for you. I hate seeing you upset.”
Noah pulled her close and wrapped both arms around her. “You know what it’s like to have nothing and have the one person in your life who should be holding out their hands to pick you up only slap you down. I’ve tried a dozen different ways to get through to Austin. You want to take a shot at him, okay, but don’t be surprised when he turns you down flat.”
To tease him out of his dark mood, she leaned back and smiled. “Do you think any man would turn me down?”
He let out a half-hearted laugh. “Lord knows I can’t, which is why you’re getting your way right now.”
“Oh honey, I had my way with you last night. I’ll have my way with you later, too.”
Noah slid one hand into her hair and stared right at her. “Promise?”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
His fingers rubbed against her head. “I like this, you, relaxed and flirting and at ease with things the way they are now.” To let her know he meant the new intimacy between them, he tightened the hold he still had around her hips, making her center rub against his hard length.
Her heart fluttered and the warmth that glowed inside her whenever she was in his company flared. “When I’m alone with you, it’s easy. But I’m still worried that others will see us together and make trouble for you.”
“I don’t care what anyone says or does. I just want to be with you.”
She traced his jaw with her fingertips. “You say that, but I saw the annoyance and anger last night when people stared, whispered behind our backs, and outright made rude comments to my face.”
“It did make me angry. But by the time we left, most of those whispers were about how beautiful and smart you are. Those who made rude comments to your face were stumbling over their words to get you to tell them more about training Houdini for the Olympics.”
“That’s not a done deal. He still needs some work.”
“The fact you’ve got a shot at getting that misbehaving beast sold to an Olympic rider is amazing.” Noah gripped her sides. His mouth dipped into a frustrated frown. “If John had just brought you here, raised you instead of hiding you away like some dirty little secret, everyone would know you the way I know you.”
She kissed him softly and hugged him close. “It took me a long time to understand nothing is ever that simple.”
“He should have fought for you.” He meant every earnest word.
“You showed me last night, you fight for me now.”
“You can count on that.” He slid his hand to the back of her head and drew her in for a long kiss. “Can I talk you into ditching this humanitarian mission to come up to the house with me?” Noah squeezed her hips, eliciting a shiver of need that prompted her to roll her hips against his hard length.
Roxy wanted to stay and give in to her growing need for Noah’s affection. No one had ever made her feel this wanted and desirable in a way that went far beyond her sex appeal.
Loving Noah, giving in to her need for him, expressing her love felt so natural and right, she didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him as answer to his question. If he wanted to be alone with her, everything else could wait.
She’d meet Austin later.
Nothing and no one was more important to her than Noah. And after their rocky start, she wanted to show him that her earlier reservations and inhibitions wouldn’t carry through the rest of their relationship.
The freedom she felt with him made her euphoric and daring.
She liked it.
This is what she’d always wanted. What she’d seen others enjoy and wished for herself.
Her heart and life had never been this full.
Noah gripped her ass and stood. Feeling light as a feather in his arms, she kissed him again and again, not worried one bit he’d drop her.
Someone cleared their throat behind them. Noah growled his displeasure at the interruption. They broke the kiss and turned. Heat flushed her cheeks when she spotted Robby staring at his feet, avoiding looking at them.
“Uh, sorry to interrupt . . . didn’t mean to walk in on . . . Garvin’s here about the colt you talked about selling him. I’ll get the colt and buy you ten-twenty minutes.” Robby shuffled his feet, snuck a peek at them with a silly grin on his face, then darted back out the door into the main part of the stables.
Noah sighed.
Her cheeks burned, but she laughed.
“What’s so funny?”
She smiled at him. “I’ve never seen Robby blush.”
“The last time he caught me in the stables with a girl, I was a teenager, and got a talking to about respecting women.”
“And do you respect me?” She didn’t need to ask. She just wanted to see what he’d say, seeing as how they’d been caught. And she still had her legs wrapped around his waist.
“I tried to get you up to the house instead of slamming the door and having my way with you on the tack room bench.”
She glanced over at the padded seat. “We’ve got at least ten minutes.”
Noah hugged her close, his face tucked against her neck. “God, I love you. But I don’t want anyone else catching us in here like this.”
“Then you might want to take your h
ands off my ass and put me down.”
“I don’t want to do either of those things.” Contrary to his words, he hugged her close, then set her on her feet. “How long will you be gone?”
“I’m not sure. Depends on how stubborn Austin wants to be.”
Noah rolled his eyes. “Stubborn is Austin’s default these days. Be home for dinner. You’ll need the sustenance if you really want to have the stamina to get Austin to cooperate.”
“Wish me luck.”
Noah kissed her softly, then stared down at her with regret in his eyes and a longing to finish what they started. “I think I should wish Austin luck. He’s got no shot against you. When you set your mind to something, you get it done.” He smacked her lightly on the ass. “Go get him, honey. I can’t stand to see him falling deeper and deeper into a bottle.”
Roxy pressed her hand to Noah’s chest over his heart to let him know she understood how much Austin meant to him. She headed out to her car and smiled when Noah apologized to Garvin for being late for their meeting and Garvin waved to her and said, “I won’t hold it against you that you’d rather spend time with a beautiful woman than an old geezer like me.”
Roxy blew the older gentleman a kiss before slipping into the front seat of her car.
Garvin smiled and tipped his cowboy hat.
Noah grabbed Garvin’s shoulder and turned him away from Roxy and toward the colt in the corral.
Roxy headed out to Austin’s place, knowing that some part of her needed to help Austin the way she’d tried to help her mother all these years. She didn’t want to see Noah’s best friend ruin his life and spend the rest of it trying to kill himself a little at a time. She hadn’t saved her mother from that fate, but if she could help Austin, maybe that would assuage some of the guilt she felt for failing her mother.
To make Noah happy, and change the course of Austin’s life, she had to try.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Roxy turned into the narrow driveway and took it slow, watching in the rearview mirror for the gray Accord that followed her from the ranch out here to Austin’s place. Sure enough, the Accord stopped on the road. The driver stared at Roxy’s bumper as she headed toward the weathered white house.
Dirty Little Secret Page 26
